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Practical Bike Lock

Now that my checking account has taken a major hit with my new Rover (and accessories), I figure I might as well spring for some security. I'm in a low-risk area, very rural, but would like a little "something" if I decide to stop at a store for a few minutes. Ditto leaving the trike on my patio while I do a quick email check. What are your suggestions?

Comments

A cable or chain through a front wheel or frame and attached to a tall object. Even then if someone wants it they'll get it . Since trikes are very unique I personally think the risk of theft is rare. Put some clipless pedals on it and they cannot ride it away.
Or
Get a rider on your insurance and stop worrying. Here is how I leave mine. See those yellow umbrellas ? I'm inside eating breakfast.

When I g et off the trike, the brakes are locked and the motor is turned off. At that point, if someone can figure out how to move it, they are in for a shock. Not many bikes have locking brake levers.

And at places where I can't see the trike through a window or door? I do snap a lock or two through the back wheel and also to the front to a stationary object like a sign post or similar. I have a lot of people that have gathered around to gawk, but so far no one has even tried to touch or sit.

Padlocks through the disc brakes is one deterrent.
Cables won't stop a thief, Kryptonite chains may help deter longer.

Was thinking of a long rod carried along the boom.
When used on a rack the rode would go through the wheels; ends having loops on each side for a lock to attach to the rack. Middle section would have a U lock that would fit around the boom (behind the crossbar) to secure the rod.
It's nothing more than an idea at the time.

I like the Skunk-Lock idea except that it is rather expensive, and that there is no mention of dye being used like banks use when robbed. The stench + unwashable fluorescent dye should leave the perpetrator with an impact that won't soon be forgotten - and may also lead to their arrest.

For now, cables are junk but lighter and easier to carry. Properly treated chains would offer slightly more protection for a significant cost in weight. Hybrid locks usually have an issue where they are joined to the lock, thus making hem worthless.

Wished someone would come out with a far superior alarm that would attach to the trike, like underneath the seat, and not only give a loud audible alert in the higher pitch range, but also send a signal to one's smartphone regardless of how far the owner is away. Have built-in tracking.
Thing is, with such a unit, there's an issue with battery life. So perhaps the audible alarm stops at a percentage of battery life and then sends out coordinates via cellular whilst using GPS location & tracking. - An option would a canister of super stink to be able to be released remotely.

Although I also conceal carry, one use that legally against a thief.

If one had a e-trike, would think a token inside one's smartphone would be needed in order for the trike to engage. If someone was trying to make off with it, the e-assist could become a perma-e-brake until the token releases it.

a padlock through the disk invites both disk and wheel damage in an attempted rideoff. the guys doing bad with a pickup? wont slow anyone down lifting a tadpole onto the bed, much, much faster than having to cut a cable before so doing, make em smile as they remove the lock later on. different story with a delta - bit awkward trying to lift a barge with a flopping front wheel.

limit opportunity with a thick armored cable lock (such as kryptonite) through both frame and rear wheel attached to a fixed or very cumbersome object. no complaints from a local grocery store (yet) but i secure to their sale-of-the-day sign. would be quite a sight someone trying to drag or lift trike with the sign attached.

I don't understand why someone would want to steal a Trike, which would be easy to trace, when there are so many bikes that are in the 1-2 thousand dollar range that would be much easier to steal and easier to get rid of.

I really don't think a thief would ride away on a stolen trike in daylight especially if it had clipess pedals or Eassist.Now a grab and toss into a pickup makes sense but that implies there is a thief out cruising looking for a trike which are few and far apart. My guess is the trikes are stolen from the owners property, yard, porch or garage.

I really don't think a thief would ride away on a stolen trike in daylight especially if it had clipess pedals or Eassist.Now a grab and toss into a pickup makes sense but that implies there is a thief out cruising looking for a trike which are few and far apart. My guess is the trikes are stolen from the owners property, yard, porch or garage.

When I stop for a quick restroom break, I lock my brake levers, and leave it in high gear, and have SPD pedals. Lots of luck for anyone that can hop on and ride off with it.

mentioned rideaways since coming out of the office in the apartments a ways back discovered one of the intellectually challenged residents here mounted on it and trying to pedal against the applied brake levers. neighborhood parking, the cable lock gets applied.

enough videos on the web showing locks popped and the thief riding off in the distance.

I'm not certain if Florida has the most trikes. There were 5 trikes at the ride last weekend which is the most I've ever seen in one place before.
I do know there are tons of trails and trike dealers even though I'm not near one. But, with Terra Trike in Michigan, I would expect them to have large numbers also.

Lock your trike, know the serial number and register it with Terra Trike. There are a million bikes in police warehouses that never get claimed. If you can identify your trike, you have a much better chance of getting it back.

a padlock through the disk invites both disk and wheel damage in an attempted rideoff.

They wouldn't get far with a padlock through the disc brakes. Don't think a lot of thieves have pickups, lot are on foot. Those happenstance thieves don't think about anything past their drug addiction or making a fast buck. Cables are a minor deterrent & the least protection in which can be nipped through with even a cheap wire cutter.

Better to have a lock or locks through the disc brakes than someone riding off with the trike, unless you would rather they run off with yours cause you don't want disc brake damage.
Cheaper to replace a damaged disc than to replace the Rover. Ahh, but you have the insurance add-on and assume everyone else can get it. Sadly, not everyone can get it.

Did some research today about locks and ran across an idea that's a little cumbersome but might work. My concern here is more at the house (50% of bike thefts are from home). The trike is locked in my shed overnight but, during the day, I would like to leave it briefly in my fenced-in side yard.

Let me see if I can describe this: Two locks. A u-lock between the rear tire and frame. If you can attach this to a stable post, all the better (e.g. patio table, heavy grille, cemented flag pole). Then, a long cable lock between the two front tires that runs along the boom and then is threaded through the u-lock.

A thief can still cut the cable and u-lock and lift the trike into a pick-up but there's a two-stage deterrent. Might try this.

LBS told a story about some pro guy's $5K bike he left in the bed of a pickup. He has all the latest and greatest, was no way a thief was going to get his bike.
Next day he came out of the motel to find his truck bed missing - along with his precious bike.

Eye opener for sure. I bought a big bolt cutter from Harbor Freight to help take apart an old fence two years ago. Lost the key to the lock on the utility trailer this summer. Glad I owned the bolt cutter. Went thru the shackle easily.
My Kryptonite chain prob wouldn't hold
up to a grinder. We never leave these
unattended and keep them indoors when not in use.

Where do you people live ? I guess I'm lucky. I usually don't lock it at all, but sometimes I just run a cable lock thru a front wheel. No one is going to get the front wheel off easily. I live in a small town, village actually, only about 9,000 people. Not a single stop light either.